There was mixed reaction to the announcement that there will be no free rides for intoxicated revellers this holiday.

Some city drinking establishments said the Road Safety Counsel should have organised a holiday designated driver campaign, while others were indifferent.

Last week, the Road Safety Counsel announced that impaired merry makers would have to make their own arrangements to get home.

Last year the Council and Government linked up with sponsors to set up a designated driver campaign to halt drinking and driving over the festive season.

And pre-paid taxis were waiting in line last New Year's Eve to take revellers home free of charge.

"This year there will be very little given and more expected from the public,'' the chairman of the Counsel has said. "We are saying that you have to be responsible and accountable for your own actions.'' Bermuda Taxi Federation president Joe Brown last night said the move will allow for an equitable distribution of business amongst the taxi drivers.

"Before it was organised by a special group of taxi drivers,'' he explained.

"Now without that special organised group, it will spread the bounty around.'' But Mr. Brown noted that there was a need for a programme to discourage drinking and driving.

"The programme was a big help to locals and visitors.'' Guido Esposito of the Chancery Wine Bar expressed displeasure to The Royal Gazette over the announcement.

"They should organise something,'' Mr. Esposito said.

And he said the lack of pre-planned transportation might have an impact on New Year's Eve business for the Hamilton establishments.

"New Year's Eve it is very hard to get a taxi and people don't come to town that much because they can go to the hotels where they can stay overnight in a room and not worry about driving home. They should have something.'' On Wednesday Road Safety chairman George Morton said in light of the recent passage of the Road Traffic Amendment Act, which will impose stiffer penalties for impaired driving, it was decided to place the responsibility solely at the drivers feet.

"We didn't want to be seen as encouraging people to drink and giving them alternative to get around the Island,'' he explained. "We are trying to encourage the public to think before they drive, and think before they start drinking and think before they go out to functions.'' But Mr. Morton said there would be a media campaign this year sponsored by a number of local and exempt companies like ESSO, Shell and The Bank of Bermuda.

"We will have tent cards in the restaurants, we will be sending out 30,000 Santa letters and we will have a media campaign,'' he added.

However, Mr. Morton did not rule out that there could be a return to the $15,000 taxi driving scheme in future years.

The Minister of Transport Wayne Furbert had said that he would be trying to push the new Road Traffic Amendment Act into affect as soon as possible.

"We will do our best and do everything in our powers to get it enforced by Christmas,'' he said.

Mr. Furbert also announced that he will soon be presenting before Parliament a White Paper on Road Safety Issues.

Robin Hood Pub and Restaurant co-owner Gary Sheppard yesterday told The Royal Gazette that he believed people were more aware of drinking and driving then they were years ago.

"People are more aware of it now,'' he said. "They try to make other arrangements to get home then in previous years.'' Mr. Sheppard said he could not predict how locals will respond to the new, tougher laws once they went into effect.

"It is a matter of people changing their ways and it may take a while.''